Six groups of Assam will be assigned ST status

In order to calm the spirits in Assam as a result of violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, Interior Minister Rajnath Singh said Tuesday that a draft law aimed at to declare six communities in Assam as listed tribes (ST) would be presented in the current session of Parliament.

Speaking on the Citizenship Amendment Bill, passed on Tuesday by the Lok Sabha, Mr. Singh said the communities to which the Center proposes to grant status are the Koch tribes Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Chutia, Matak, Moran and Tea.

The legislation will change the demographic status of Assam and make it a tribal majority state.

"All guarantees will be provided to protect the interests, rights and privileges of existing Assam listed tribes," said the minister. A separate bill would be introduced to grant ST status to Bodo Kacharis in the mountainous districts of Assam and Karbis in the rest of Assam, he said. "It is also proposed to amend the sixth annex of the Constitution to strengthen autonomous district councils," he added.

The Center's decision to grant S & T status to the six communities currently classified as retrograde retrograde in Assam has met with mixed reactions in the state, with six community leaders being skeptical of the Center's intent; that Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal welcomed this decision.

Biswajit Roy, leader of the All Koch-Rajbongshi Students' Union, said he would not believe the Center until the bill was passed by both houses of Parliament and approved by the president.

The leader of the Adivasi, Rupesh Gowala, also scented the project of the Center focused on the poll.